It's Not Always Sunshine
by NollyLvn
Summary: Walking in the night with a coffee in hand is something, but if you're attacked by a ghoul while doing so, it is something else different. Touken fic. -AU (humanTouka & ghoulKaneki)
1. Chapter 1

Uhh, let's reverse their roles.

''

**It's Not Always Sunshine**

''

In this fucked up, hideous world, a girl with bluish hair is walking down a street with a pancake in her hands. She looks around searching for her friend, well, her magnifying _best _friend, unaware of her own attention-catching beauty. They agreed to go book-shopping today, but the douche still hasn't shown her nose yet. She grunts, where the hell is that Yoriko?

"Touka-chan!"

Oh, here she is. "So late." She spits angrily albeit obviously faking it.

"Sorry," the orange with brownish hair apologizes. "My mom asked me to help her buying a month provision for our family."

The former eyes her, scanning her friend's sweaty figure. "Who are you?"

The girl is shocked to hear that, but her eyes roll when she realizes what Touka is doing, "Kosaka Yoriko, and you?"

This is their thing.

"Do _I_ have to?" Touka frowns, and sighs when Yoriko nods eagerly. She started it, she has to finish it.

"Kirishima Touka."

They stare each other, seeding a contest. After a few seconds, Touka puts both of her hands in the air, signaling give up. "You win." The statement makes the orange-eyed girl laugh, thus taking the other girl's hand in hers. Successfully making the guy who is walking by look at them with 'seriously, dude?' look. "Sorry." She mutters in embarrassment, the guy goes with an annoyed huff.

Damn Yoriko.

''

Touka walks, now she is walking with big, thick books of rabbit in her bag. She regrets shoving her pancake into her stupid best friend's mouth to shut her up an hour ago, now she has nothing to eat. And it's night already. A cup of coffee would be a pleasure now.

She goes to a café and orders a cappuchino, taking it with her as she blows it softly, hoping it'd be a little colder to be edible in her throat instead of burning it if she had drunk on it all at once like she wants to. A guy watches her from afar. She doesn't give any crap to it, some creep just happen to look at her way, he'll avert his probably perverted look to other girl.

And her bag is getting heavier each step she takes.

"Hey, bitch."

What the _fuck_?

She turns around, to have Nishiki behind her with a weird look and sprinkles, she thought they were sprinkles but when she looks closer, they are in fact sweats, on his face. "Bastard."

One of the guy's eyebrow twitches, "Stupid Touka."

The blue haired girl glares at him, "Shut up, you callous. What do you want?"

Nishio Nishiki, her senior, stared at her for a moment, apprehending something. When Touka turns on her heels, he admits, "Nothing." Then he shrugs, "Watch your back, stupid human." And he is gone into the world of romance when his girlfriend, Kimi, calls his phone, maybe telling him to pick her up from somewhere because he rolls his eyes and says, "Yeah, yeah." Silence. "Where?" A short period. "Hmm. K." An angry voice from his phone. "Yes!" He closes his phone and looks at Touka who is snickering evilly, "Good bye."

"Yeah, see you too, fucker."

A look from him, then he goes away searching for his little princess.

That was half an hour ago, the purplish blue eyed girl stalks the streets. She prefers walking in small streets instead of taking a bus, her money department doesn't allow her to be that luxurious.

This idiot bag is going to be the death of her.

Then she begins pondering about shitty Nishiki's strange behavior today; he 'greeted' her out of the blue -usually, he would never do that except the world's going to end-, he so seriously _stared _at her -which is extremely impossible because he thought of her as an eyesore-, he pretty much told her to be careful -this case would only occurs if his own manhood is in danger-, he called her 'stupid human'- isn't he one too?-, and he said-

"Agh!"

Suddenly, she is gasping as a sharp pain hits her side. Touka, now on the ground, becomes aware of her situation now, she is in a somewhat isolated street, which she put the blame on Nishiki for putting the quest in the first place, her vision slowly functioning again, revealing a black haired guy standing in front of her with shiny, amazing big red cables behind him.

She spits blood. The same pain from before kicking again, thus throwing her to a nearby walls. She scrambles and her eyes get used to the dark.

Realization hits her like a bitch, Nishiki said 'good bye' because he'd never seen her again. Forever. He already knew she was being targeted by someone.

Some_thing_.

"You look nice," the guys says, lifting the injured girl up by the neck. He licks the blood running on Touka's forehead to her chin, "You _taste _nice."

That moment, she knows her life is about to end.

''

Just wanna say I'm still alive but I can't be as active as I was before because… I'm not even exaggerating it, _school_. I'm sorry, I've been inactive for almost half of the year.

I hope you like it! Share your thoughts with me, it'll incredibly boost my selfish will to write more.

12/04/2014 ~NollyLvn


	2. Chapter 2

Got so many support! I'm in the clouds! But since I don't know if I can write a good _fight _scene or not, this probably suck. Well, enjoy, netizen (internet citizen)!

Bad writing-skill warning.

''

**It's Not Always Sunshine**

**2**

''

And shit gets real.

Touka doesn't think she'll get away easily from this guy, whose olive eyes so deep like a hole. An empty hole, she notes mentally. But she has to get away. She smirks, all those martial art practices should pay off sooner or later.

She throws a punch, landing viciously on his nose, making it cracks and bleeds. He is caught by surprise, no one expected that, right? He tastes his own blood, it actually isn't sweet like the blood of humans, still holding her by the neck. She shivers, knows what about to meet her. And it is true, he has thrown her to the ground when she gains back her almost lost consciousness. She didn't pass out, she knows it, she was only blacking out for a second. She needs to get away fast, and the sole path for that is to fight this man.

This ghoul.

She stumbles to her knees and looks around, trying to find her bag. She always has a pepper spray in hand in case something bad happens, maybe it's the time to make use of it, though she doubts it will make much difference.

"Looking for this?" the ghoul says, cold, soft but rough voice pierced her ears, she sees him lifting up her _bag _in obvious complacent. If the circumstances were different, Touka would surely be annoyed ny the fact that someone sneered at her, but now what can she do for showing her resentment is cursing, so she does just that, and, without waiting any longer, runs in a rush. "You really think you can outrun me?" He laughs.

The big red cables she saw earlier catches her ankle, doing a good job keeping her from running away. There must be something she could do. She _can_ do, she corrects herself in panic. She stills, maybe if she pretends die, he will go away just like a bear. One of his eyebrows raises up, and the cables, which are in fact _kagune, _bring her closer to the man-eating bastard. He doesn't even need to inch a step.

But he is no bear, they both know that.

Being hung upside down by her opponent, "Put me down." Touka hisses.

"I'm sorry, Miss, I can't," he smiles lovingly. Touka didn't know that ghouls can be pretty. However, she learns it the hardest way. Because witnessing something amazing when you're about to lost your life isn't all that pleasing. "You smell so tasty I can't hold myself."

She tries to give him a punch, or two, if not for his kagune putting a space between them out of her punch territory. She screams for help, but no one hear that desperate cry. The only thing she can hear is their breaths, and her heartbeat. She is sure this grayish black eyed ghoul can hear that too. His kagune grip tightens, almost crushing her ankle in the process. True enough, she can feel warm, thick liquid slowly coming from it. The blood that was running to her chin, now is running back to her head, going down to the ground past her hair, reddening it through the scarlet liquid's way.

After a few seconds of silence, she has had enough, she risk her leg's safety to break free, kicking the glowing red kagune with her right foot. Bad move, not only now Touka is growling out of the stinging pain in her –probably broken- right leg, she also becomes aware that this guy, or ghoul, or monster, whatever, is staring at her. What's with guys staring at her today?

What exactly is he thinking? Eating her from the leg? Puking out her eyes? Brewing some soup out of her brain and innards? Decapitate her and sell her headless body to other ghouls?

Her bag. The stupid thing still has a few books, a few heavy books. All of a sudden, she feels almost relieved and nostalgic she hasn't left her annoying bag on the street. An idea plops as a bulb does so in her brain.

"Let's spar."

The black haired ghoul frowns, "Excuse me?" This is the first time someone, or food, has asked to spar with him.

She realizes his polite attitude, too bad he is a ghoul. "Let's," she now thinks about it as a prey, sparring with your predator doesn't really sound like a good plan. "Spar." She gulps.

He considerate it, even a newborn would know unarmed human will never win against a hungry ghoul, it's just natural. He is bored anyway, so why not? "Alright." He says agreeing as he puts her down, watching his food struggles to stand and takes the bag. Pepper spray doesn't work on ghouls, their RC cells won't be taken down just by some low spray thing. And he can hear her heart beats so fast, watering his mouth more than it does with other humans. Ghouls' senses are far better than humans'. "Please strike first, Lady, I won't move." He shrugs and sits on the ground, knowing whatever happens, he will be the last laughing anyway.

That cocky bastard.

Touka hates his kagune particularly because it's red, a weapon to kill, and somehow nice-looking, but she hates his eyes more. "You better keep your words, you eerie monster." Was it just her imagination or she saw his mouth twitched a little? One of her books must have a bookmark in them, she takes it, making it curl into a cone with her hands. A sharp cone. Their distance isn't that far, only six steps away and she can kick him in the gut.

So she sprints and stabs the cone into his eye, "Eat this."

She hears him cry and fall to the ground, she bets that was unexpected. A grin creeps to her lips. But not for long, since she knows a ghoul's regeneration is at an impossible speed. Once again, she runs, not forgetting to call 911. And realizing only one of his eyes that was black.

After his eye heals, and the good-smelling girl ran away, he sits on the ground with a hungry stomach to feed and a bookmark in hand. He remembers what she said, _"you eerie monster."_ His hands weaken, and the stupid bookmark slowly opens itself to its original rectangular shape, though a bit bloody and creased by the girl's previous action.

**The Black Goat's Egg**, he reads. And he laughs and laughs and laughs because he likes the book and thus growing some interest in this girl, who just literally stabbed his write, and at the irony because this event turns out to be Cinderella. Usually, Cinderella leaves a glass shoe, but this one left a hella _bookmark_ behind.

Besides, he has to return it anyway.

''

"Touuuka-chan!" An inevitable voice rings in her room. Just what she needs in the morning. It'd be a little better if Yoriko bring some caffeine with her. Sometimes, the blue haired girl has to remind herself why she loves this loud, cheery orange-haired bundle of meat. "Is your head okay?"

No shit Sherlock she was just attacked by a ghoul and is now perfectly _okay_.

"I'm okay," is what Touka says though.

Yoriko seems letting a relieved sigh out and a plastic is being put down by her delicate hands, "I bring you some coffee."

Oh yes she fucking loves this girl.

While the blue eyed girl is blowing some air to her beloved coffee, Yoriko says, "I still can't imagine you being hit by a car." Obviously taken by the other girl's lie.

"It just happened," Touka shrugs and continues her activity.

"Can you not taking it so lightly as if it were nothing?" she glares at the coffee-drinking girl, taking a cheese bread from the plastic.

"It is."

"It is not!"

"It practically is, okay?"

"But your leg-,"

"Fine."

"Oh? What about your ankle?" Yoriko folds her hands impatiently.

"Just a little hurt."

Yoriko moves and carefully puts a finger on Touka's left ankle, making the girl shrieks in pain and shock, even though she does it slowly. "Your argument is invalid." Yoriko declares victoriously as the Kirishima girl pouts and turns her red face.

''

Three weeks after, Touka walks in the morning to Yoriko's house to get her notes. The day holds little sunshine as it is cloudy, better bring an umbrella before she regret it when it rains later. Yoriko thinks that twenty one days Touka in the infirmary makes her grades lower, and decides they should rush the notes together, which takes up all day.

At eleven in the night, Touka yawns for the nineteenth time for the last hour. "It's all for today. You should sleep here tonight, Touka-chan," says Yoriko.

"No, thank you, but I can't," she refuses and starts to pack her things.

"Why? You can't possibly think of going home now, it's almost midnight, it's not proper for a lady to walk alone at night," persistent as she is. Touka rolls her eyes and bid good night, saying she has to do something at home. A lie, of course, she won't be more burden than needed for Yoriko, and besides, home sweet home.

She walk through the streets just like three weeks ago, feeling a little wierded out by the fact she survived a ghoul attack here not long ago. She wonders if she'll meet him again.

She certainly hopes not.

The blue haired girl looks around, there are still some people walking around. And the sky, no moonlight, only clouds flying darkly. Unfortunately, she's left her umbrella at the Kosaka's. Stupid umbrella. Her apartment is still out of her range even if she runs all the way to it. It leaves no choice but to be soaked wet in this mercilessly cold night.

A far drip of water falls from the sky, Touka sighs, her books are really unlucky she pities them, and the other drips come stumbling one after another until it becomes a light drizzle. "Can't be worse."

No more nice drizzles and here comes the rain.

She grunts and keeps walking, avoiding little mud puddles, not even minding to run because it is just going to do exactly nothing, finding a shield for a while will also be a pain in the ass if the rain's going for long. Alone, on the streets, in the middle of the night, she's a good prey for ghouls. It also doesn't help that her apartment is pretty cheap, which means it's somewhat unlikable by society, due to the low place it build on. Which means the level of criminality is quite high.

She braces herself for anything to happen.

Out of the blue, someone covers her mouth with their hand and takes her to a nearby tree. "Shhh, don't make a sound." A deep voice whispers. But she isn't a tamed animal, so she bites his hand hard, blood comes out of it. She almost feels sorry if not for the wound to heals so fucking fast. That second, she knows this guy is a ghoul.

It won't be surprising, really, if she were eaten by a ghoul now. She called for it in the first place, walking alone at night? That's a huge golden invitation card for ghouls. Not to mention the cute rain.

Touka and the ghoul guy is hidden behind a big tree, its dark and damp. Then they hear sounds of running footsteps and they see flames everywhere. Magnifying, wonderful red scatters all around the street and she watches it in wonder, the guy makes a shift and they are sitting on the wet ground.

But how are flames supposed to exist under this hell of a rain?

"Look closer," the ghoul says beside her ear, she can feel the heat rummaging from his breath. When he hears a moronic 'huh' as an answer, he adds, "For God's sake, it's kagunes."

He releases her lips so she can talk, or make a fool out of herself. "What?" She frowns, sinking in the information into her head.

"Be glad I saved you from those people," he sighs and completely lets her go when there are no more hints from those 'people'. "You could have been dead."

Oh. Ghouls.

Which shock you more; being eaten or being _saved_ by a ghoul?

They are now in the dark behind a tree, sitting in front of each other in calmness. She doesn't get how can she keep her senses instead of passing out or freaking out, maybe the fact that this ghoul has saved her ass keeping her from fainting right on his face.

"Sorry, I almost killed you the other day," he mutters, looking down. "I didn't mean it, I was just hungry and you were there, so…"

Well, that's one good reason to apologize.

When she gives silence as a reply, he stutters, "Umm, I guess this is yours." He hands her bookmark, as ugly as the situation seem, that bookmark is still hers. She eyes it carefully, a ghoul still means a ghoul. He still eats humans. And she is a human.

She decides it's futile to do that, the guy looks nice and friendly enough with his black hair and deep olive eyes, besides he gave back her bookmark, what bad can appear out of this?

Sarcasm applied.

She takes it back, and he smiles a friggin happy one, "You are not scared of me?" he questions, note the happy-ending sound of his voice. Touka, seeing droplets of crystal water on his hair, shrugs and he announces, "Great!" He quickly stands and pulls out his hand to help her up, albeit awkwardly. She doesn't take it at first, but this guy resemblance Yoriko a little -their cheery personalities in fusion can win an Oscar for the next decade-, and when she eventually holds his hand, she feels his hand's heat, warming her shivering cold one. "Kaneki Ken."

"…" She clears her throat out of random, "Kirishima Touka."

And their tale goes on from here.

''

Too much for expecting?

Thank you for those who reviewed, favorited, and followed this lame fic from me! Special thanks to: **Guest, Dr, Kenryuu, xxxDreamingflowerxxx, FlowerQT02** (Flo-chan! XD), **keytoglitter, usuratonkachixx, LovingmyOTP's, **and **Daedricdragon**. :3

Please tell me what's in your mind :)

12/13/2014 ~NollyLvn


	3. Chapter 3

WOW MORE THAN 70 FOLLOWS!? That is UNBELIEVABLE!

Anyway, thank you so so very very much to dear kind reviewers: **LovingmyOTP's, Dracula, usuratonkachixx, xxxDreamingflowerxxx, touken **(sorry, really, I cannot and will not do smut, the most I can do is put a _kiss_ XD)**, Kenryuu, cifer66, Akabari, Ana cii Bunny, FreakyFee94, Guest, Guest, arazawa, x10TIMEx, Deadricdragon, sachesan, Wish Upon Dreams, Hati, Anonymous Reviewer-T!**

I still can't believe people actually read _and _review my story :D

Happy reading!

''

**It's Not Always Sunshine**

**3**

''

Never once in her 18 years life would Touka Kirishima think of a chance of survival upon meeting a member of the ghoul species, let alone being acquainted with them. Kaneki Ken has offered to escort her home, being the gentle_ghoul_ he seems to believe he is. Touka refused politely albeit with few grunts here and there, she's in a bad mood already and having someone you don't know to walk you home wasn't helping at all, but he insisted quite stubbornly, so the two of them agreed to deal with Touka having his umbrella instead, even though the blue haired girl couldn't see the use of it since she was already drenched to the bones.

She walks alone with weary eyes, scanning her surroundings every now and then, preparing herself for more ghoul attacks. None comes out of the bushes or the trees. To entertain herself, she even thinks of any method of ghouls to assault their preys. How does jumping out of the nearby window after sadistically killing its owner sound?

Silence.

That sounds scary as _heck_, why is she thinking of a nasty shit like that in the first place?

It looks like almost getting eaten by a cannibal –well, technically, if you look at it from another angle– has taken its toll on her. Tell you what? Never mind, she doesn't know what she's doing in her mind either. She was bored, that's all.

"Damn, I'm hungry. Might get some burgers than nothing." But when she gives second thoughts to it, the girl decides it isn't worth the risk she's putting just to have them digested in her tummy. Remember how Touka and Ken met for the first time? Maybe from here on, she'll take deliveries, for her safety.

So she keeps walking grumpily telling her stomach to suck it up.

At home, she doesn't bother to take a shower, good thing she has two leftovers of sandwiches she made that morning. She smells them to check whether will she get stomachache eating them or not. She rolls her menacingly blue eyes at the four slices of bread, of course mycrobacterium have claimed them to be their lawfully luxurious little village, it was stupid of her to even try. Upset by the fact that her precious food has come to waste, Touka undresses herself and changes into pajamas while waiting for her coffee to chill down a bit. Her mind wanders to her brother. _How is he now?_ She thoughts, gracefully drinking the dark liquid of caffeine, sighing in complacent.

Ayato can take care of himself, after all, he is _her _brother.

As she poses her body for a comfortable position, she tries to delete the name Kaneki Ken out of her dictionary, hoping for the better world it will eventually succeed as her brain is switching off to the dreamland.

The little stinging pain in her right ankle however, destroys her unrealistic wish in an instant.

''

To begin her day, she helps herself some, or to be more precise, all of the breads she has stocked in her fridge. She hasn't eaten since yesterday, dammit, be understanding. She still doesn't believe the previous case she was thinking about, though. Not even after it, the _fateful _encounter with a kind-hearted ghoul, has happened right upon her life, as if Fate is stomping her while laughing maniacally 'Hey you _gurl_ Imma fuck your life now okaaayy'.

Touka trembles slightly at that full of horror image.

"What's wrong, Touka-chan? Is the soup I made not tasty?" Yoriko questions when she sees her eating partner spacing out. For as long as she knows, Kirishima Touka is the kind of a girl who if she isn't focused on one thing, she is focused on the other. Not a common view to have the blue haired girl to be lost in a trace. Yoriko notes that this is the second time her friend has been _spacing_ out.

"No, it isn't that," Touka is weighing which one is the worse; telling Yoriko she has almost been eaten by a ghoul _or _saying she has befriended said ghoul. She decides the latter is safer to be on her cook-wannabe best friend. "What do you think about ghouls?" She starts anyways, if this conversation has a good ending, she'll tell her.

This takes Yoriko's attention, "Ghouls? It's so rare for you to talk about them." Touka can see a raised eyebrow on her pretty face.

Before Yoriko has any chance to judge the other girl based on whatever it is on her fantastic mind, she adds a reply for her untold question, "Just asking, lately they have been close around here, I'm getting anxiety."

The orange haired girl giggles, "Aww, don't worry, Touka-chan, even ghouls won't dare to approach you. You look so…" she tries hard to find the fitting word, "awkward." She found it. Though Touka herself doesn't feel any bit of the said verb within her. "The ghouls will be feeling awkward upon seeing your awkward face so they'll go feeling awkward themselves and awkwardly not wanting to eat awkward human flesh ever again because that'll feel awkward."

Well, that was confusing.

"That totally made sense, Kosaka." Touka facepalms physically and mentally, she's 18 and yet she speaks like a kindergarten. "I'm not awkward," she growls in annoyance.

"About ghouls, right?" Yoriko goes on, already forgetting the pathetic, pitiable failed yo-dawg joke she made a minute prior. "I don't know, honestly, I think they should stop devouring on humans. Like that, we can seriously co-exist on this earth." She smiles sadly at her plate which contains broccolis, carrots and a few beans.

Suddenly, Touka sees a cemetery. The Kosaka family gathered around one tomb, Yoriko and her mother crying. His father stared blankly at the small, newly-made grave, and herself, doing the same as Mr. Kosaka beside Yoriko with lips in a thin line. Touka feels guilty giving her a hard bitch-slap on the face, "Uh, sorry, Yoriko, I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright. My brother is happy in heaven now, I'm sure. You don't have to worry," Yoriko grins, although it's wavering, "I'll be able to meet him in afterlife later."

The violet haired female stays silent for a while, reminiscing Yoriko's little brother who was killed by a ghoul, his remains still missing. She lets a smile garnishes her fair face as she agrees, however, "…Yeah."

"By the way, Touka-chan, do you think humans and ghouls can marry and have half-breed children?" The girl asks dreamily, clasping her hands together. Just like a child being given sweets.

Touka, however, sniffs sarcastically, "No way." Though, it hurts saying that for unknown reasons. She hates saying it, for unknown reasons. "Definite not possible."

For unknown reasons, she wishes what she said isn't true.

"You're right," Yoriko laughs. "Things like that only happen in fanfictions."

The Kirishima girl dismisses the unusual 'fanfiction' word, although she can vaguely make out what it means. _Probably some anime nonsense again_, she thought as she finishes her meal. In the end, her plan on letting Yoriko into her little secret failed.

She can't bring herself to do that.

''

"Do you think someone has done this before?" A voice interrupts her studying. She stares at the annoyance before her, then answers flatly.

"What?"

"Like you and me, being friends with each other. Human and ghoul." Kaneki Ken points out, whispering. leaning his elbows on the wooden desk, lazily watching Touka reading her biology book.

"You're creeping me out, imbecile. Stop staring at my face like that."

The ghoul sighs understandingly, and slumps back into the bench. They're at a library in their university. When Touka was on full focus into her book, the guy suddenly approached her, successfully crumbling down her hope to not meet him again –despite them being friends, because she just wants no more of wasting time– as well a study in peace. Yoriko isn't the type to leave Touka alone because she has asked for it. It took her a few persuasions to make her orange haired friend to let it up to her. She also said some things about making up her decreasing grades. She choose to ignore it at the time. The blue haired girl wasn't in the mood to have her ears being attacked by Yoriko's endless ramblings.

She isn't in the mood to meet this guy either. Why does he keep popping out out of nowhere? Is that a new technique of ghouls?

She shudders at her train of thought.

"I'm hungry," he declares.

"No one asked."

The black haired male eyes her with half-lidded deep eyes. "At least you can be grateful and lessen that cold attitude toward me, Touka-chan."

Her eyebrow twitches in irritation as she holds the urge to choke him."No. And don't use childish suffix on my name, moron."

"I saved your life, human. _Twice._"

She isn't even facing him properly, she is purposefully annoying him_ while_ studying. Multi-tasking much?

"No."

"You make me want to eat you more, do you realize that?" He admits, half of him is eagerly waiting for her terrified response, for the fun of it, half of him is_ terrified_ if she actually freak out in horror right here right now.

He will have to kill her then.

And he doesn't want to do so.

But all she has to give him as an adequate reply is, "Wow, scary."

Ken stares at her with surprise, amazement, and pent-up rage all at the same time. He suddenly puts his hands in the air, shaking the table in the process and gaining a growl from Touka's throat, "I give up." He announces. "You win, Touka-chan, _you win._"

Her reaction?

Stare him back for a full minute, before saying, "Can we go to someplace more private? I want you to show me something."

Shocking the ghoul and, questionably, herself.

''

The both of Touka and Ken are now behind a long-forgotten building, which used to be a hospital for the nearby areas around. It is left because its standing materials have weakened due to age and the unfortunate weathers. It is reported that ghouls have stayed and _lived _for unknown length of time before the CCG sterilized it.

"So? What is it do you particularly want?" Ken asks nonchalantly, barely managing to hide his excitement. For two whole weeks after his act of saving her from the hungry ghouls, this is the first time she has asked, and he is glad to repeat, _asked _something from him.

Touka's traitorous mind begins to wonder if her true intention is to see him suffer if there were ghouls here. Though she sure as hell hopes not. From her spot on the rotten bench, she can see his stupid happiness emanating. For a short moment, she wonders again, what if she hasn't walked on that street and not meet him instead? "No offensive wills here, but show me your red cables. The ones you used to hang me."

One thing crosses Ken's mind? _What is _wrong _with her? _Not a human, not one, has ever requested to see it. And if he didn't know that _he_ is the ghoul here, he might have been scared.

One more thing, _red cables?_

"You mean kagune?" Ken inputs, suddenly aware his tongue is itching to lick Touka's flesh.

The girl flushed a pale scarlet, "Yeah, whatever!" She clears her throat, it was embarassing to snap like that. Not her fault she doesn't know its name, right? She realizes she's in denial but chooses to ignore the ashaming feeling. "Just let me see it."

"Demanding much?" Ken shrugs, he has no problem giving a view of his marvelous, hunting-special organ to this human girl but he is afraid of what he can _possibly_ do to her if he let out his kagune.

"I advice you, Mr. I-Don't-Wanna-Show-My-Kagunes, to not take your sweet little time so graciously. I'm running low patience."

"I'm not sure, Mrs. Demand-My-Way-to-Everything, that you should be talking like that to your hero."

"But, _baby darling honey_, you are my _predator._"

"Once again, _I_ _saved you twice._"

"Just show it to me, it can't be that hard!"

It won't cause any misfortunes, right?

"Fine!" In an instant, angry red big kagunes appear behind him, moving aimlessly with their flaming colour, shining its way to his black hair, making a new colour of dark scarlet on his locks. Touka wonders, as she stares at them with wide, wide eyes, how can they not get knotted with each other? "Happy now?"

Touka stands there unmoving, hands lifted frontward as if reaching for them. She manages to nod though. Ken watches her slowly making her way to his kagunes, he suddenly notices the bugging feeling in his mind.

What if Touka wants to give him away by luring him here and telling him to let his kagune out then call the CCG?

Ken immediately takes a step back, startling the mesmerized human. "W-What?" She stutters.

"You intend to get rid of me, don't you?" His red pupils dilate in wary and suspicions, and one can be forgiven to mistake this other projection as fear. "That's why you lure me here." He states single-sidely, which might be true. Touka's scornful mind reprimands get for using a nonexistent word. But strangely Touka feels dejected upon hearing that. Isn't that what most people will do?

"I'm not. Why would I?"

Ken spits, bad, he's losing his mind, "Cunning little liar." His eyes dangerously shine, eliminating all the bravery she had just 30 seconds ago. She resents _that _feeling so much. "I recall you called me an eery monster, you even stabbed me in the _eye_. That was mean–" "I-I... you tried to _eat _me." "–Let me tell you one thing, _Touka-chan._ It hurt. Just because I have the same taste in books as you–" "Hey–" "–doesn't mean you can call me anything you want. True that your smell makes me crazy, I admit. But you are still my food." So much she wants to post a strong high-five on his ghoul-_y , _maddeningly sick face.

So she runs and does just that.

''

Phew, finally. Sorry to make you wait, I was stuck up in the Law of Ueki fandom. I've just finished the Beelzebub manga, any of you know it? I just _love _TatsuGarde so much. Twitter, Instagram, Askfm, Facebook, anyone? Let's chat!

Any thoughts? :)

03/31/2015 ~NollyLvn


	4. Chapter 4

People have been telling me to turn Kaneki's hair fucking white. Your wish has been heard loud and clear *flips a five-yen coin* (Noragami pun, anyone?). Well, I've been trying to find a good timing to do that, at least. Here goes chapter four!

''

**It's Not Always Sunshine**

**4**

''

Touka was right. Kaneki Ken _is _stupid.

Touka eyes him warily as he goes rigid after his left cheek was granted a cute little bitch-slap by none other than Touka, the girl he has almost eaten last month. Ken's crazed behaviour has taken even himself in surprise. He seems to have gathered his sanity back, she guesses. He steps backward, unable to look any longer into Touka's piercing blue eyes. He opens his mouth, probably to nervously muster a pathetically-pronounced apologize, Touka cuts him off. All this slow-motion shit, can she take no more.

"Don't, just do_ not_ say sorry."

Ken starts to protest but the girl's murderous glare is enough to seal his lips together. All he can do now is just waiting for something, anything to happen.

"You... You dared to assume I called the CCG? Such stupidity. Why, in the name of God, would I want to do that, you useless shit?" Ken sees her massaging her temples. Now that he thinks about it, if she wanted, she could have contacted the CCG long before now, and if, by no chance, she _had_ really called them, won't he'd have been fighting them now? Why risk her life for something unsure? "I just wanted to touch your kagune, dammit!" Touka snaps, fists balled.

_I am an ass,_ Ken thought to himself. Seems like God is still in their side since he hasn't unintentionally killed the girl yet. He clears his throat, admitting one's sorry regret can't possibly cause any misfortunes right? "Touka-cha-"

"Oh? By all means, milady."

Apparently, it can.

A guy, seemingly their age also, comes out of nowhere, casually walking with headphones resting on his neck, his orange hair mirrored the sunlight perfectly. Ken smells something bad, he immediately pulls Touka behind himself, making a barrier between the orange haired stranger and the girl-who-just-slapped-him-because-he-took-the-definition-of-freaking-out-to-a-whole-new-level with his body. Touka whimpers, shocked, because Ken did that in a split-second, panicked, because ghouls are known for their possessiveness -like what Ken is doing now- and terrified, because his presence here doesn't indicate a single thing of goodness, "W-What? Who is that?"

The black haired ghoul doesn't turn his head, "Someone dangerous you shouldn't have met."

"Ouch, defensive, are we now?" He shrugs, pulling his hands out of the pockets of his pants, eyeing Touka wearily. "Hey, dude, don't be so petty with food."

Now it's Touka's turn to go rigid. That ghoul is talking about her, right?

"Fuck off, Hide. She is not food."

_Well, duh, _her brain echoes.

Hide, the orange haired stranger -though not-so stranger since Ken seems to know him- sighs tiredly, as if he has been thrown into circumstances like this thousands of time. "She is food. She is a human. We are ghouls. Ghouls feed on humans. Therefore, she _is_ food." Hearing this, Touka's blood turns icy cold.

"Thank you for your useful exposition, Nagachika Hideyoshi, I can finally get the point across. Now let's get out of here, Touka-chan." Ken takes the girl's wrist hastily yet gently, she knows it is hard to do things delicately if your friend was about to be preyed upon, she follows without any sign of resistance, stumbling due to his fast pace. Inevitably, she notices the sweats on his palms, and begins to sweat, too.

"Nuh-huh, not so fast." Hide whistles and swivels his way towards them. He is blocking their escapade in an instant.

"Tsk." Ken spits.

"_Bonjour_, missy," that Hide guy calls her, but she is still too lost to answer. Is she going to be eaten again?

"Stop, Hide."

The orange haired guy ignores him, still addressing her openly, as if Ken isn't there. "Hey, girlie, you said you wanted to touch a kagune, didn't you?" Touka realizes where the conversation is going... "I will be 'flustered' to help you achieve your desire."

A nice, human-loving ghoul? No. His words implicitly tells otherwise. "Y-You're going to kill me." She states, getting cold feet.

Hide smiles, an adorably cute smile. He would be a good boyfriend for Yoriko, if he weren't a ghoul, that is. "'ctly. Now be a good girl and lay still. I will decapitate you flashily you won't have the time to feel pain." He walks over to Touka ever so slowly. "Shit, you smell good. Lucky I've found you." He puts both of his hands on her shoulders. He faces Ken, "I'll give you the brains, to make you smarter. Who in hell gave the idea to try to do me, Kaneki?"

"Who told your mother I will go down without a fight?" Suddenly, the girl bites his arm while kicking his manhood with ferocity. No matter how hard a ghoul's skin is, a man's weakness is not called a weakness for no reason. "Fare-thee-well to your children, disaffiliated bastard."

She grins widely while Hide crouches on the ground, trying hard to save what has left of his future juniors. He groans in agony, "Y-ou b-b-bitch!"

"Good job, Touka-chan, now, run like hell." Ken says, eyeing the suffering Hide cautiously. "I will take care of him. Just run, stay away, and don't come back for a while, okay?"

"What? You are underestimating me too much, I can fight him just fine. I won against you."

"I _let _you win." Seeing her confused face, he adds, "You really think that you won? Foolish of you. I could easily slay you, but I chose not to." He admits.

Confused, dazed, and a part of her pride torn apart -it'd be so cool if she _really_ did win against him-, she can only seek for any reason, "Why?"

It isn't the fucking time to talk about this, his mind screams, but what comes out of his mouth is: "Never mind, just escape, hurry!"

"Bitch ain't getting away!" Hide roars, standing up with wobbly legs, his kagune seeping out of his back. His lips playing a mad sick grin on, it sends chills down her spine.

"Touka," Ken says, the girl is still safely a few feet behind him. "Run and never look back. Understood?" He doesn't need to face her to know she's nodding. "Now!" He charges at the orange haired ghoul as Touka runs.

Now that she thinks about it, she doesn't have any idea _where_ to run. The nearest police post? Call 911? The CCG?

She's so dumbstruck when she glances back and sees Ken stabbing Hide in the chest with his fiery kagune, while Hide himself manages to get his yellowish red kagune through Ken stomach.

Ken sees her watching them, stupid as she is standing wide-eyed, and rolls his eyes, blood dripping from his mouth, "I thought I told you not to look back?" Right after the words left his mouth, another kagune slams his body to the ground. A laugh from Hide sends a thrill down Touka's back. Ken gives the credit back to him, cutting one of his kagune off, and steps on it. "You can never beat me, Hide, give it up." Turning her body 180 degrees, she rushes toward the only one she can think of now. Like old saying, takes one to know one. The only one capable to fend off a ghoul, is another ghoul. That stupid Nishiki. That sad bundle of arrogance must be a ghoul, right? He was the one who warned her about being dead a month ago. He had to know another ghoul was keeping Touka at an eye's view to pull something like beforehand-warning off. Right? Touka silently hopes that God is still hovering above her.

Before Touka goes far beyond earshot, she vaguely hears Hide's hiss, "Neither can you." he says with experienced certainty.

''

Yoriko has been reading a manga for two hours straight when her phone rings. It's from her best friend. She's about to say an opening greet, but the girl on the other line cuts her off it.

_"Stupid Nishiki, get your ass here now that guy's fighting I don't know what to do and don't care what you're about to do _you get here now_!_" Touka said hurriedly, she still manages to emphasise the last part eventually, though she sounds cornered and helpless.

"Touka-chan? What's wrong?" Is Yoriko's response.

"_Yoriko!? Why you!?_" After a short groan of frustration and a sound of heavy stomp to the ground later, "_Damn! Sorry, forget it, Yoriko._" She hangs up.

Yoriko shuts her phone in worry, eyeing her opened manga. _Something's wrong. _She quickly throws her manga and rolls her eyes. _Duh._

''

Why, of all times, should she called Yoriko by mistake fucking now? Touka tsk-ed, a sweat drops from her chin, just now that she realizes that her hands and legs are trembling, that must be the reason she pressed Yoriko's name instead of Nishiki. Without further ado, she calls the bastard.

Only to end it a second later.

Won't the CCG be a better option in this case?

She gulps, time is running out.

''

The four of them look at each other, emphasising at the only female there. She frowns, disapproving their stares, and personally shooting death glares to the annoying tallest troll there.

Even though she had problem deciding which company should she call earlier, she's now quite satisfied with her selection. Had she called the CCG, both Ken and that guy named Hide would have been in a fatal danger, and to some extent, probably Nishiki too.

So she touched **Nishiki uglySOB**'s contact again -yes, that's how she named him in her phone- and threatened him to ask the manager to fire him (he laughed this off, "_He won't fire _me_, dumbass._"), report him to the CCG (he returned the threat, "_I will kill you before you can, ungrateful human."_), _and _find a hotter, wealthier, and _smarter-than -your-ass _guy for his girlfriend, Kimi. (He spluttered two words, "_Fuck you. _Fuck _you._" Or four.)

Touka despises him as much as humanly possible, but talking to -_insulting-_ him was able to make her guiltily ease a tiny bit. He is a jerk, definitely, but he can also be reliable at certain times.

Yuck, thinking about it makes her feel nauseated.

Nishiki sends back her glares with the same amount of intention to annoy the hell out of her, causing the girl to cringe in pure disgust. Keen sees that, he just sighs.

"So, Kaneki, care to explain why you're being a stingy jerk and _prefer _not eating this girlie?" Hide points at Touka with his thumb. "She doesn't look that bad to me, I bet she tastes quite good. Even with that emo hair and everything."

One of said girl's eyebrow goes up, "Got any problem with that?"

Hide regards her with a wistful stare, then faces Ken once more, "Right? You should just eat her already."

"For the twenty-fourth time, Hide, _no. _I will not eat Touka-chan, and the same goes for you too."

The orange haired ghoul rolls his eyes and leans his back to the nearest tree,, "You're no fun."

Ken ignores his best friend, and turned to face Nishiki, "Thank you, Nishio-senpai, I wouldn't be able to stop Hide if it was me alone."

"Yeah, yeah, you owe me one. See-"

As if agreeing on his words, a tree suddenly falls off.

"-ya." He pauses to stare blankly at his two underclassmen. "Clean that mess up." Referring to the fallen trees which is caused because of their fight earlier. After hearing a 'yessir' response from the both of them, he goes. Probably to date with Kimi, since Anteiku is closed today.

"How are we supposed to clean all these?" Ken asks the two of his friends. The guy is already sneaking out when Ken stops him with his kagune.

"Ugh, bitch off, Kaneki, it was you who cut those trees down!"

"Yes, because _you _avoided my attacks."

"What? Of course I'll do that! I fancy my life."

"Then you agree it's partially your fault too. Now quit talking and help me get rid of this." Ken takes a broken tree on the ground, feeling guilty for what he has done to the nature. "You are free to go, Touka-chan."

When he looks to where she was standing before, he can only see an empty space.

"Heh, poor _Ken-chan. _I thought she loves you?" Hide teases from behind, glad for finding a new way to entertain himself.

He gets a tree-slap the next second.

''

On her way home, Touka sees a cute white rabbit doll on a nearby toy store. She enters the store and buys the carrot doll instead. Yoriko likes cooking, it's no secret, and she has received a few money for her work at Anteiku by the manager, so she doesn't think it's a half bad idea to wrap her some birthday present, even though it isn't the most expensive thing ever.

And even though it's a month too soon to buy a present for Kosaka Yoriko's birthday.

Touka laughs, she supposes she needs some normalcy nowadays.

''

For fellow Muslims out there, happy Ied Mubarak!

Yeah. I like that song from Muse, "Time Is Running Out", do you too?

Anyway, I want to ship HidexYoriko but, anyone knows if he is still alive or not? Because as we all know, Kaneki might have eaten him before being beaten by that Arima CCG-hero and turned into Haise Sasaki.

Any thoughts?

07/18/2015 ~NollyLvn


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5th ahead, all people on board!

''

**It's Not Always Sunshine**

**5**

''

It is one of those fine mornings where you just lie there on your bed, doing nothing other than yawning and making a trumpet of your ass. One of those relaxing chill airs when you are so lazy to move you don't even touch your cell phone. One of those relaxing sun-breaks in which you don't intend to take a shower until 10 in the morning. One of the sought-after weekends you savor every passing second of it.

Touka sets herself comfortably glued on her pillows, looking at the dangled bookmark of the Black Goat's Egg novel she hasn't had the luxury to read yet. The _unfortunate _happenings in the night the day she bought that book somehow made her interest in the book subsided noticeably. It is not easy to will yourself to utilize a bookmark you literally used to stab someone in the eye.

"Ghouls, huh?" She laughs a little, flipping the little piece of paper on her delicate fingers involuntarily. She has better things to do than this, but let's sort out the past month in a neat list, shall we? They day her unceremonious life turned ill-fated in a day should be the starting point. All the things that have happened then flash in a millisecond in her mind; they are all so confusing, a deep mystery, she gets tired just thinking of it. She decides that making a stupid, imaginary list in her head is a pain the neck, so she cancels the idea; which was already dumb from the start.

The morning air sure is nice.

Just as Touka is about to roll over the bed for whatever childish reason she has in mind―come on, who doesn't like lazying around?―a cheery and feminine voice rings up in front her apartment. "Touka-nee-chan!"

Oh, just what she needs! "Hinami?" It's been a long time since the last time she has seen the little Fueguchi girl. As soon as she opens the door, she pinches the little girl's cheeks wildly. "Why didn't you tell me you're visiting?"

"I texted you, but you didn't reply. I thought you were still asleep," Hinami smiles lovingly despite the pinches, she then hugs Touka's stomach, because of her height, which is kind of disappointing. She brings happiness to wherever the puts her feet on. Nobody would reject such a fine, young girl to breathe the filthy air in their home for a while, even if they don't know her. Fate is not always the crazy bitch people like to make her sound like after all.

And after the mind-degrading, IQ-lowering, and mentality-damaging tales she has faced lately, yes, she's sure as hell she can use Hinami's company.

"Oh, I almost forgot," the brunette exlclaims after she gets suffocated for drowning her face in Touka's stomach. "Ayato sent you this."

''

A sigh fills the room.

It has been the twentieth time that Touka has exhaled loudly in the last hour. Yoriko takes notice of this, pleased with her detective-like skills. "What's troubling you now, Touka-chan?"

"That brat Ayato is going to be the death of me."

"Oh, what crime has he committed this time?" Please don't tell anyone, but Yoriko used to have a little crush for Touka's little brother. His coolness really owns every straight girl he sees. The orange haired girl is more than happy to oblige being the victim of some weird, heart-shaped arrow a flying baby with wings shoots her with.

"He sent me this letter," she hands the torn paper to Kosaka girl. She frowns as the little scraps of paper fall off her grips. She takes one piece and sees the word 'fat' in a blue ink. What, what fat? How can she read something that's not attached to anything at all? What's this, a puzzle? "I burnt half ot it and ripped it."

Mrs. Obvious Touka has become. "Ahh, don't be a stick in the mud, come on, what did he say?"

Touka looks at her best friend right in the eyes. Arguing would just be pointless, and postponing would be a pain in the ass. So, she sighs, "You know what, I'm starving, let's go take a grab at Anteiku." said she as she noted to herself that next time Ayato sends her a letter, she'll just burn it all in red.

''

Touka doesn't know if Fate hates her or just like messing with her life, but she and Yoriko meet face to face with Kaneki Ken and Nagachika Hideyoshi in the once-homing café. All the comfortable decorations seem as if they were stale, giving off bad omens, although it is all in Touka's panicked imagination. Why, why are they here?

Despite all her tremor, she manages to put up her usual blank face nonetheless.

"Uh-oh, here comes our pretty little lady," Hide whispers to the black haired guy who is taking a sip of his coffee in front of him. The guy eyes him with a crooked eyebrow in return. "Don't look at me like that; I ain't gonna rip that emo princess of yours from limb to limb." Ken snorts in response, before the orange haired guy adds in a teeny voice. "Though I'd surely enjoy doing that."

Hearing that, Ken puts his book on the table with tranquil redeemed fury and shoots daggers to his friend. "Hide, if you touch her, I swear—"

"Yeah, you illiterate monster." Despite the fact that Ken is reading a book, and himself, too, is a ghoul just like him. His friend seems to notice this and finalizes his speech. "Screw this, whatever." His friend says, waving off the guy with an immature roll of his brown eyes. Don't ask Ken how much he wants to bury his childhood friend alive right now. All he can do now is grunt, so he does just that, and then opens his book with much dismay. He has lost the feeling to read. All thanks to that son of a—

"Hi."

Touka-chan? Ken turns his head sideways, and gets the girl he has been daydreaming about—don't you _dare_ tell Hide, he seriously warns you—standing with an expressionless look on her pretty face. The Kaneki guy gulps, yes, he said that. He said that she's pretty. "O-Oh, hi, Touka-chan."

Damn, why is he stuttering?!

Hide makes a face. "Oh, God. Grow a bone."

They embrace the awkward silence with an equally awkward faces before Yoriko's speech breaks it in absolute greatness. "I don't like you." She tells Hide flatly.

Touka is almost thankful for her stating that out loud—she dislikes the guy, too—but her fear takes all of her mind now. Yoriko just involves herself into a mess of cannibalism and unforgiving flesh and blood. Without intending to, the blue haired girl gasps ridiculously loud, making half the costumers in Anteiku turn their heads in curiosity.

"What?" Yoriko demands.

"Yoriko, let's get out of here. I know another—"

"Wait, ladies." Hide stands, extending his right arm to grab Touka's bag. Ken growls warningly at him. Hide merely sweats him off like the plague. "Would you like to have a drink with us?"

Yoriko frowns, her droopy eyes uninterested and annoyed, "Are you asking us to get drunk with you?"

Touka looks for help to Ken, conversely, the guy just sat on his ass, doing nothing other than sipping his coffee. He knew Hide won't kill in public, that alone is reassuring enough for him. He sees the blue-haired girl's desperate call, but he just shrugs, as if he can't do anything to the situation.

"Oh, no, no. Though that'd be awesome as heck," Hide laughs evilly. "We're simply asking you have a coffee with us."

"Thanks for your offer, no." Touka declines instantly, it will be a miracle now if she gets to untangle Yoriko from the danger she just poked in the head. And Touka will work on that miracle even with the slightest chance. "Let's go, Yoriko."

However, the orange-head is reluctant to leave, eyeing Hide's enigmatic grin with a deep frown. Touka's hold on her tightens, _come on,Yoriko, fancy your life a little!_ Then she announces dubiously. "No, I want to stay."

"Yeah!" Hide coos, his eyes screaming 'I won your friend, yo!' to Touka, to which the girl welcomes with pure hatred. She shoots burning daggers to Ken, who just gulps at the monstrous killing intent that the girl radiates. He can make out a message in it:

_You are so dead._

''

That night, Touka and Ken walk side by side. Touka has refused earlier to take the bus, tomorrow is Sunday, it's a student's guilty pleasure to stay awake until midnight, or even morning.

"You know, we just want to live peacefully." The blue haired girl says out of the blue. "Ghouls or humans, killing each other as if they were the better race, what difference does that make us from animals?"

"Can't be helped, ghouls can't eat anything other than you humans' flesh. If I had to choose, living as a human seems better to me." Ken admits sadly. It wasn't his decision to be born as a monster after all. "You defend your species by annihilating its predators. Are we that different from animals at all?"

Touka lets the idea sinks. She kicks a coke can absentmindedly. Curiosity kills the cat in the end, "Then why don't you kill me?"

Ken stops walking to stare at her. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

"I want to know, at least."

Ken now averts his eyes to the ground, he notices the shoes Touka is wearing are in good quality―he thought she was poor. "Honestly, I didn't have the heart." He prepares himself for the burst of laughter he is sure going to explode within the next seconds. But in all confusion, silence follows his answer. He lifts his eyes to the girl beside him, only to have her piercing blue eyes stare back into his grey ones.

"It would be good if there were more kind-hearted ghouls like you, Ken." She pauses before adding, "You feel human to me." She smiles. The light from the streetlamp reflects on her blue hair, it looks even clearer and softer this close.

That moment, Ken realizes three things; first, her smile is pretty; second, it is the first time she has spoken his name; third, he is scared.

He is scared that Fate would take her away, either by the hands of others, or by his own hands. He is even more scared that he's thinking about it.

Quickly, Ken turns his head away, unable to look too long into Touka's captivating blue hair. He shoves the blame on her height and the lamp to conduct this kind of effect on him.

"Ouch!" Ken exclaims suddenly as he feels a kick on his side. No, he isn't doing that because the pain, it actually tickles, but he is surprised to see the girl he has taken an interest into eyeing him with utter ferocity. From his laying on the ground position, he snarls, "What?"

She scoffs, crossing her hands. "That's for endangering Yoriko."

"Hey, that wasn't me!" Ken defends himself, only to have Touka takes out her bookmark and curls it into a sharp cone again, much like the one she used to stab Ken's eye. She is about to replay the scene. "W-Wait, I might be not eating you right now but I'm still a ghoul."

Oh, that reminds her. "Let me touch your kagune."

"No."

Touka makes a gesture of uplifting the Bookmark Cone—a name she gave to the make-shift weapon—in a threatening manner, as if a ghoul would be afraid of a piece of paper. She doesn't care about it and steps forward. Really, as _if _a ghoul would be scared of his _prey_.

Suddenly, a big, warm muffler has encircled her right leg, and throws Touka through the air.

"Aaaaargh!" flies her twenty meters above the surface level. She is about to hit a building when the red cable catches her. And throws her again to the higher and farther sky. In the storm of panic attacks and earsplitting sound of rapid winds passing her ears, the blue-haired girl dares herself to open her eyes. A rational part of her mind is telling her to close her stupid eyes shut, a fly or a _bird_ might get into her eyes and she won't even know, but she it is shoved into the back of her mind when she sees the moon. It takes all of her will to keep on breathing.

It's beautiful.

Ken, after tossing his one and only human friend into the air, dashes away, laughing all the way. Kagune to trees, roads, and edifices, he seeks after Touka. That girl will learn her lessons now. _Lol_, he thought.

Not once ever he panics, because he is one of the fastest ghouls in District 12, and probably even in the whole Tokyo. He finds her soaring onto a building's top, a little surprised to see her not screaming or crying.

He literally jumps to the spot, and catches her by the ankle. Good thing Touka isn't wearing a skirt.

"Gotcha," he grins so widely that his face almost cracks. The girl frantically steadies herself, gaping for oxygen to fill her ribcage. What Touka does next? She punches the living hell out of Ken's stupid face. Truth to be told, it isn't even hurt. Her current state weakens her physique. The brat has gotten her lesson. "Are you still gonna challenge a ghoul again?"

After that whole airborne journey, he expects her to beg him to put her down, to take her home, or whatever safe thing that doesn't involve his genes. He finds himself flabbergasted when her response is out, that she doesn't forget to put deathly venoms in her words, "Try that again."

Interesting. "What are you trying to prove?"

"_Again_."

Without further ado, he does as he is told. He watches questioningly as her small and fragile body flies. What is she thinking, that crazy girl? He grunts, rolling his eyes while deciding it won't brighten anyone's day to see a blue-haired corpse on the rooftop of their house in the morning. At first, he did that only to teach her a class; not to screw with ghouls. Not all ghouls are generous enough to let humans stab their eyes, even Hide will undoubtedly slash the unfortunate person's throat right away. Then, he hears a shout from her.

"See this, Kaneki Ken?" The flying Tokyo-woman spreads her arms, as if she was the bird itself. "I'm flying!"

Ken stops dead on his tracks, looking with tilted head to the girl who smiles with such brightness that touches his heart. His vision becomes blurry. What is this feeling? Why does he feel like he could go against the world with her standing by his side? Why is he feeling like… home?

The ghoul watches his prey squealing and laughing in the night sky, defying gravity, adorned with the plays of the stars on her wake. Under the drama of constellation, under to lullaby of Fate's sonata, she shouts, "Thank you!"

With blood-smelt hand, Ken wipes the warm tear on his right cheek.

''

A heartfelt stage for all of us. (*cries of #feels*)

Thank you for reading this far, especially to those who spent their time clicking the review button on both chapter 3rd—it's a year ago!—and 4th, you guys made my year:

**Ana cii Bunny; **Yeah, sorry, school lurked in me like the plague. Thank you very much for reviewing, _mukkyaa_!

**Guest;** thank you, buddy ;)

**xxxDreamingflowerxxx; **hahaha, yeah, he's… sick. That's why Touka is here XD Oh, it's been a long time since I used Facebook to chat… Link. Is. Very. Handsome.

**ArtGirlLullaby; **She slapped him, real hard. I think his morale was slapped too XD do you want a spoiler? I'm intending to turn Kaneki's hair white, but not now huehue *hugs*

**Anonymous Reviewer-T; **Of course, I see you. I see you, you anonymous reviewer! XD But nah, I don't think it's overly great, but if you like it, then I'm happy, thank you very much!

**chaxzet**; thaaaank you! Hahaha just pray I don't die along the way XD yeah, agreed, I want to work on that department too.

**FreakyFee94**; as you can see, my friend, Touka forgave him… but he kinda messes it up again… Thank you so much!^^

**jerkygirl; **Oh God, thank you for the long review! Yeah, can we all join forces to make the group of #SlapStupidKaneki? …nah, ignore me. He will, patience, patience XD

**Flor**; por favor, perdoname. Un memento, espera… Yo soy feliz para—ah, screw me, I can't speak Spanish, although I know a FEW words about it. I'm happy you like it! Su hermosa palabras para gracias, amigo! (Please don't mind the syntax XD)

**alicegil007; **thank you, as you wish! ;)

**Delta Malauder**; perhaps…

**meryem **(Guest); I will, though I can't promise much, thank you :D

**Guest**; Touka: *ends up being thrown* … Thanks for reviewing!

**ToukenSh.t** (Guest); *stares at your temporary penname* Huh? O-Oh yeah. THANK YOU

**Guest**; Thank you very much for reading and reviewing! :D

**Guest**; Yessss I did, thanks!^^

**Guest**; Hahaha, I'm glad you read this far! Thank you ;)

; I will, I like this story too^^ Thank you very much for reviewing!

**jy24**; Sorry for the confusion that caused. Nishiki warned Touka about the attack earlier, so gambling on the little chance as well as being desperate, she called him. Just her luck she miscalled Yoriko, though. It wasn't that clear, eh. I hope you like it, thanks for reminding me!

**xxxDreamingflowerxxx**; Whoa, thanks for the active review!^^ Hide is just lovely, is he not? ...even lovelier if he's in Hawaii. Damn you, Nagachika. I think he's dead, in style. Hehehe, I hope you like it. Once again, thanks so much! XD

**GalanthaDreams**; thanks for coming! And yeap, even if the ship has sunk before sailing, they're still adorable!

**Guest**; Yeah, let's say it officially, I'M BACK! Thank you, terima kasih, kansahamnida (?), merci, gracias, arigatou (or, to be precise, where do you come from? So I can say 'thanks' properly in your language-with the help of Google Translate of course XD). Hahaha, not only Touka, Yoriko got herself in this mess too! No, no, your English is alright, I-and I'm sure, everyone- can understand it clearly. Don't worry too much about it! Thank you again!^^

Ah, I'm so happy school is over for the time being. *cries*

So, kind readers, any thought?

03/20/2016 ~NollyLvn


	6. Chapter 6

Stitching up gashes with threads of deceive is not the answer, even if the kisses taste like ash.

I'd like to thank **Hanten** for beta-reading this chapter.

''

**It's Not Always Sunshine**

**6**

''

Yoriko walks with guarded caution to the orange-haired male across the street. Hide announced to Touka and Ken that he would escort the equally orange-haired girl home, but not without flirting with her along the way. So, in order to avoid getting into meaningless rants about how a guy and a girl shouldn't go together in the night by her mother, the Kosaka girl suggested that they part ways, but still in the same direction.

There Hide is, at a safe distance, swimming through the wrong path of the sidewalks, having people—an old man even frankly glared at him at some point—looking at him as though he wasn't a resident of Tokyo. He glances at Yoriko, who seemingly enjoying the 'escort', small hums can be heard around her, thanks to his extreme senses for the experience.

Then Yoriko laments the absence of voice between them. The guy is escorting her home, after all, where're her manners? "I-It's a good night tonight."

Yes, Kosaka, stuttering is the new black.

Hide's adequate reaction is to halt and raise an eyebrow at the girl across the road. Really, if that was supposed to be a pickup line, he pities whoever dudes she has dated so far—if there _were—_because that sucks. Hard. But upon seeing the orange-head's restlessness, he sighs and just go with the play. "Yeah, it is."

After the words leave his mouth, a sound of stomach rumbling whispers to both of them. Yoriko is almost sure that nobody heard the little cry her digestion system made just now, until her wary, bright eyes fall onto Hide's questioning expression. _Marvelous_, she thinks, pretending not to acknowledge the male's stare on her and continues to walk accompanied by her speeding heartbeat.

After a full minute of blushing and internal self-scolding, Yoriko finally realizes that the guy who is supposed to take her home isn't there anymore. Midnight is around the corner but the road is tireless, cars run across her sight to where Hide was before now empty. The girl puffs her cheeks in disbelief. What if she encounters a ghoul? Honestly, the world lacks gentlemen. With a mental vow to raise her future child as a decent human being useful to society and the Earth, she stomps her school shoes to the ground grumpily. She's still _hangry_ it seems.

Forty seconds into her journey, she sees the dude, just meters ahead of her, drinking a coffee in one hand and offering a newly made croissant in another. "Only one though, how could you are starving just minutes after we got out the café?" Hide asks nonchalantly.

Yoriko isn't certain whether to accept the offer like the graceful woman that she believes she is, or to burn the sweet dessert in red like a mad man, after all, she and Hide just met each other an hour ago. Sure, he might be Touka's friend's friend, but she isn't stupid enough to trust the friend of her friend's friend that soon. Criminality is a serious matter nowadays.

"Come on." Hide rolls his eyes in irritation. "It's not like I'm going for a lame-looking girl like you." When he sees the girl parting her lips to protest and probably to read a well-scripted tirade of his impoliteness, the ghoul takes the swift chance and, once again happening to her, shoves the croissant down her throat. He laughs at her flabbergasted face. "Just kidding, now eat, I'll take you home once your stomach stops imitating Simba."

Rawr.

After gulping one hell piece of the dessert and almost choking in the process, Yoriko carries on with the walk even grumpier then before, if that's even possible. She wonders if one of the Kosaka Rule of Law has just been disgraced. Seriously, an act like that should have been illegal! What if she clogged and... and... She shakes her head, she isn't going to imagine her own funeral. With all the mess inside her head, she forgets to mention how inhumanly fast he is.

Hide chuckles from behind. _Gotcha. _But he has to be careful, one wrong move and tomorrow's breaking news will involve a dead high scholar found decapitated near a river. This girl's pulse really is something. It's strong, although still weak compared to that emo chick's, yet richer. The smell is really nice that if she gets too close when he's in the mood for a little snack, dangers will ensue. It is a good choice to hunt a week ago; his play is going smoothly.

The orange-haired ghoul is about to ask the human girl if she dyed her hair, it's not every day you have someone with the exact shade of hair as you anyways, until a peculiar thing in the sky steals his attention. He crooks an eyebrow at it. Why is a _human _flying?

He runs up to Yoriko and taps her shoulder, her shocked response does what they call butterflies for a short while, then he says whilst pointing up above, "Uhh, isn't that your friend?"

No way. "Kaneki-san escorted Touka-chan home, there is no possible way for her to be on top of a rooftop now," refuses Yoriko, making it more difficult for the male to knock into her sense that _Touka-chan_ is doing a back flip airborne just tens meters vertical up her head. He can even hear giggles from above. Cool. Who the hell _giggles_ when there's a ridiculously high chance of them dying minutes later? Kaneki better has a twenty pages essay regarding a flying Tokyo-woman assigned to him soon.

Perhaps due to the tiredness or the absurdity of the moment, Hide gently pushes her chin up so she can witness what he sees. In the back of his mind, the ghoul curses himself for thecliché act he's doing right now, and let's not forget her pulsating blood in her soft veins. _Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap._

However, his hunger-induced stupor is quickly broken by Yoriko's panicked outburst. "Oh my God, Touka-chan!" Then she runs, not once looking back, where to he doesn't know, nor he cares enough to find out. One thing disappointing though;

It sucks to have his play ruined by a flying emo chick.

''

"No!" Touka cries, the winds lashing out on her face making it hard to speak properly. She is happy to witness the beauty of the night while being in the air, but getting free radicals into her mouth is a no-no, not to mention the ground is coming closer. "I'm going to crash now!" Even closer.

Ken just stands there, still moping and wiping his running nose while muttering nonsense like 'y-yo-you're human' or 'can I…' but he never finishes the damn sentence and repeats to 'Touka…'

Enough of feeling like Hetare, her bird pet, the blue-haired girl wails. Nice, Ken, throw people around and let them crash, why don't you? Closer. It's still approximately twenty seconds until her neck break, maybe she can text Yoriko to remind her to keep feeding Hetare?

That line of thought is not helping at all. "Ken!"

Addressed guy lifts his head and freezes. "Oh no, Touka-chan!" He can see the girl buys it and an expression of terror adorns her pretty face. He laughs at that. Ah, what a pure virgin.

He dashes leisurely. If voices could kill, Touka's desperate screams would have killed him thrice in the last five seconds. What concerns Ken isn't the risk of her dying—lol, he's _fast_—but her screams could attract people. Imagine if people see a girl flying. Superman would be an ancient history then.

She flies to a bridge that connects two sides of a big river. His laughter stops. Damn, it'll be hard to catch the girl if there are people around. Eliminating all of the townsfolk won't be a wise option either.

Speeding up, he gracefully avoids public sights, all focus on the falling girl. Why the hell did he think it'd be a great idea to throw her to the air? She seemed like she enjoyed it though, that's actually enviable. Now he understands why Kamishiro Rize told him he was naïve and was even able to _beat_ him. Yes, a female beat him. He didn't dare to face Hide for three whole days after the little incident.

However, he doesn't understand why Touka is stopped midair, and ever so slowly being dragged to the ground by something sinister. For once, Ken sends a prayer to God up there to grant his plea. It was bad enough having no more than one friend—if he could call _el idiota _Nagachika Hideyoshi that—he isn't going to let God or anyone else take her from him.

"How foolish, Kaneki, don't repeat the tragedy."

There his prey is, being held by the neck by a small girl wearing a white one-piece that reaches his knees and a purple jacket, its veil covering her greenish hair. The human seems unconscious, blood flowing clean from her right arm. Ken lowers himself, getting ready for a fight. "Eto, let her go."

Eto puts up her hands on her mouth in a mocking way, automatically releasing Touka to the floor with a loud 'thud'. "Ah, sorry, I let go of her."

No more words are exchanged after that—no, Ken isn't forgiving when it comes to people he cares, a human friend in particular—as flickers of red shawls make a show on a building's rooftop, alerting Madou Akira who is on her way to buy Maris Stella's, her cat, food. The beautiful blonde frowns at the gleaming sight, unintentionally crumpling a one thousand yen in her hand, a wicked word in mind.

_Ghouls._

''

Ayato clicks his tongue in annoyance. Not the least bit enthralled by Hinami's 'request' to go to a date.

"I'm ready," the Fueguchi girl announces hopefully, wearing a pretty pastel dress that goes below her knees, showing off flowery sandals at the ends of her legs. She pulls the prodigy's hands like a child asking to get taken to an amusement park. "Let's gooo," wails her.

He doesn't even lift his orbs from the Physics book he's trying to absorb if not for Hinami's wails here and there throwing his focus into the air. "Not today, Hinami, I've got a test tomorrow."

Her response to his rejection is to pout and park herself under his desk, causing Ayato to feel like he had kicked a puppy. After several "please?" from the little girl below the table, he finally gives in with one condition; that it will not take longer than until 5 P.M and she will leave him the heck alone for the rest of the night.

"But... it's two conditions?" Hinami herself isn't sure if that is a question or a statement.

The two-years older guy just shrugs. "It's still one sentence."

An awkward silence whispers in Ayato's room until she attempts to bargain, "09:00 P.M?"

"No."

"08:30?"

"No."

"08:15…?"

"I'm gonna throw you out if you don't stop."

"08:00?" The still pathetic attempts make Ayato roll his eyes. "I won't trouble you for two days, too!" She makes a peace sign with her fingers, twiddling it playfully on his face.

"Deal." The blue-haired male nods with newly guaranteed assurance and takes his leather jacket in an instant.

The small brunette decides not to bother any further and just head off to the 'date'.

"So, where're we going?" He asks, closing his books.

Hinami's ears perk up, as if she had been waiting for the question to be said. "A place you'll love!" Ayato swears he can see _sparkles _around her head.

''

Ken purrs happily behind Touka. Earlier today, the ghoul has called her to ask if she had anything to do for the day, which the girl's sole 'yes' acted as a decent reply.

"They weren't bad people," Touka mumbles in a very low voice that if Ken wasn't a ghoul, he wouldn't be able to hear that. She then touches her right hand subconsciously, making her friend's left eye turn black in alarm.

If only Hide was there, maybe they could have taken down Eto. It wasn't an easy task to protect someone whilst trying to kill someone else. If only he wasn't a mere an A-rate ghoul.

He is so absorbed in his thoughts that he bumps into Touka when she stops all of a sudden in front of twin tombstones. He mutters a bashful apologize—he almost hugged her!—as he realizes the blue-haired girl is no longer breathing. He vaguely remembers she was holding her breathing too the first time they met. Does she always do that when surprised or sad?

Blood is starting to drip from her bandaged arm due to how hard she is crushing it.

However, the girl doesn't seem to realize what she's doing. Ken tries to control his instinct as a predator and be the kind ghoul that he strives to be. "T-Touka-chan, your arm—"

"You killed my parents."

''

"You tried to kill me." Eto rolls her eyes.

Juzou chews his strawberry shortcake whole, making the other costumers in the café gasp in horror; someone even starts typing 911 in case his face turns blue. "Well, you killed my father."

"You were so beautiful when devastated, couldn't help it." A sip of her coffee before she continues, "Also, Mr. Cutie-Investigator, your father _murdered _my dad. I couldn't just forget that, could I?" The silvery white-haired CCG worker growls lowly, with a scary radiance of his naturally red eyes. Eto blushes at that. "_Ara_, isn't this quite the pretty sight?"

Juzou pouts with his sugar-smeared mouth. He doesn't know how to handle a half-ghoul who walked ever so calmly into the CCG headquarters just to request a meeting with him with a childish smile. Wasting time drinking coffee with his prey isn't something he does regularly, but a job is a job. "So, when can I kill you?"

One of the green-haired girl's eyes turns black and red in response for the question. "Would now be okay?"

Public display of elimination? The young investigator clenches his briefcase even harder. "Nope." If only Shinohara hadn't taught him etiquette of hunting ghouls in public, tens of knives would be targeting the girl's throat right now. She is cunning, he realizes, she invites a meeting at a café in an elementary school area. "Still, Eto-san, it's your fault for killing my father."

Eto growls and bangs her head tiredly to the table, flailing her hands as temporary pillow. "How many times are we going to have this conversation? I already told you who killed my father."

"Yourself, ain'tcha?"

She smirks under her arms, her green locks shake under the yellow light so ambiguously. "Might be."

''

What kind of a 'date' is this, exactly? Ayato wears a bored frown when he faces the girl beside him, who is happily skipping from tomb to tomb, giving a flower each. She waves to him from seventy feet afar. "What are you doing? Help me!"

No, what are _you _doing? He's convinced she doesn't even know all of them, or any at all. He has no idea where the hell does she get money to buy that much flowers. "Why the hell are we here?"

"To visit the dead," replies her as she hurtles closer to the guy at the far end of the cemetery. Suddenly, a strong wind passes and blows her dress warningly high, making Ayato shifts in unease. "Kyaa!"

And the fact that he spots something he shouldn't ever see. Lucky bastard.

He pretends not to regard it while the blushing girl acts like she had just spilled CCG's greatest secret to Aogiri, a well-known ghoul community in Tokyo. He awkwardly scratches the back of his head and enters the section for 20-30 years old graves. "L-Let's just go."

Don't think Hinami doesn't notice the tinge of red on his face.

When they arrive at their initial destination as she calls it, Ayato's parents' graves, a couple is already there. If it was any strangers, he'd be delighted, but just his fate that he meets his sister one day after he has sent a 'love letter' to her. Fortuna, the goddess of fortune, is a bit unstable deity, it seems.

Touka hasn't noticed their presence yet so he is about to greet_—_or annoy the hell out of her, same thing_—_when something off about that guy next to his sister, looking at her bleeding right arm, stops him dead in his tracks. Something he'd rather not know. Something dangerous.

He starts to worry about his stupid sister's circle of friends.

''

I'd love to provide longer chapters, but... Please at least be happy by the AyaHina's scene, yeay!^^

Thank you for those who followed, favorited, and even reviewed! Unlimited gratitude to you:

**xxxDreamingflowerxxx**; You're very welcome, the same goes for you; thank you, too. I haven't played Zelda yet, but he sure sounds promising! I did, and tbh, my shallow knowledge about Legend of Zelda really frustrated me, so… And yeah, Knawki will have something bite him in the ass later for ruining a normal girl's life lol. Once again, thanks for reading!

**jy24; **Thank you very much!

**Lena-luvs-cats**; T-Thanks! (Oh, and I love cats too…) XD

**codename00guest**; Whoa, thanks for coming this far! Oh, this chapter answers your question^^

**wisegirl0603**; Thank you, I hope I will.

**I'mAStrangerRead **(Guest); Yea bro thx oh no English aint my forte, but seriously, thank you :D

**AlphaKiller – Leon**; Thanks so much! And the answer to that question lies within this very chapter… (Anyways, thanks for reminding me to inform Kaneki's rate^^)

**Orang** (Guest); ye bazeng mending gausah sekalian wasyuhhh. Untung orang indo dikit yg baca ff gua hehehe jadi gak ketauan amat jayusnya WKWKWK btw review lu nyepam tas, lu aja ga baca ff-nya #feels

Aye, this chapter foreshadows something. Have a good day!

So, kind readers, any thought?

05/11/2016 ¬NollyLvn


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